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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · chip · bark · object · squash · spell · ground · charge

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a line
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — for betting
  10. object — an aim
  11. ground — a position
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — in control
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. spell — letters
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com